I try to be as gentle as I can as I don’t want to hurt her wrist. My hand slides under her shirt, stroking the area just above the waist band of her jeans. Esmeralda stiffens taking a step back. I’m ready to roar in frustration, but I will follow her lead. Instead of pulling away like I thought she was going to do, she starts to unbutton her shirt with a slight tremble to her fingers. I gently pull her hand away, taking over the task. I would love nothing more than to tear the shirt away from her body, but Esmeralda needs to be treated with gentleness and shown that she can trust me.
When I unbutton the last button, her hand stops me before I can slip the shirt off her body. “You might not think the same once you see me.” Her whisper is filled with untold pain. I’m about to answer, but she lets go of the shirt, shrugging to let it slip down her arms. I’m about to raise my hands to cover her bountiful breasts that call to my touch, but then I see the scars, some light which tell me that they were made long ago but others still quite raw which is evidence of the treatment that she got at the hands of the Desperados.
The scars crisscross her torso, clear that someone found pleasure in cutting her. The rage is bubbling up, and I can feel the earth responding. I want to kill every single motherfucker in that gang. Cut them all until they have no flesh left to be cut, and make them feel what Esmeralda felt. “You will tell me who did this to you, and I will kill every one of them.” My voice is muffled by the knot of fury in my throat. Fisting my hands, I know I should try to calm down because I can already feel the ground responding to my fury by its rumbling.
“Dag!” Esmeralda places her hand over my heart. Her touch has a soothing quality that nothing else has. “Are you doing this?” I know that she’s referring to the slight earth tremors being felt under our feet.
I need to calm the fuck down, or she might be hurt by my fury. I will hold it in, and the rage close, but I will find my revenge, I will make this right.
There is a banging on the bedroom door. Esmeralda squeaks in surprise as she slips behind me. “What the hell, Bro? Calm the fuck down,” Asger mutters from the other side.
“It’s fine,” I grunt, still feeling the roiling within me, but not wanting to frighten my woman. Her hand strokes my back. The movement is calming as if she knows just what to do.
I hear Asger walking away and then Dane is asking him if everything is okay.
“For now,” he replies. “Let’s leave them alone.”
“This is a crazy situation,” Dane states, their voices becoming quieter, which tells me that they must be in the bar area. Turning, I look down at Esmeralda to see her beautiful green eyes looking up at me, a world of emotions in her eyes.
“I told you I was broken.” Her quiet words echo through my very soul. I don’t care how long it takes but I will make sure to get Esmeralda to see herself as the precious woman she is.
“You aren’t broken, baby; those are just scars.” I know it’s not the scars that I can see that has broken her, but the ones that are hidden deep within her. She closes her eyes, taking in a deep breath. I can just imagine the horror that she has endured.
When she opens her eyes, they are clear. She lifts her hand to my chest, stroking at the tattoo there, her eyes on mine. I know at this moment that she won’t stop me again, that she has accepted our union. She might not trust me or anyone here yet, but at least she is accepting what I am saying. Lowering my head, I take her lips in a tender kiss, a kiss that promises gentleness. Her essence surrounds me, calming the need I have for revenge.
I know that Esmeralda will always be able to calm me. It’s our way with our mates, but I also know that the minute I see one of those motherfuckers that dared to hurt my woman, I will make them pay. With time, I will know all her horrors and slay all her nightmares. But until then, I will be patient and I will bide my time.
Our tongues join in a dance older than time. Our essence mingling and driving our passion with a force stronger than any rage or fear and reservations we might have. We are two beings pulled by fate to be one soul. She is my light, and I will be her saviour.
Lifting my head, I stroke my fingers down her neck, over her shoulders, and around her back until my fingers touch the hooks of her bra, my eyes never leaving hers. Unhooking the bra, I slide the straps off her shoulders, letting it fall to the ground. Her eyes stay on me as I lower mine to look down her body to her perky nipples. My mouth waters at their lusciousness, their womanly perfection calling to me.
Even though her body has been marked, it is inconsequential to me when I have her in my arms and she is alive and breathing. The scars are what makes her the person that she is today.
“You are beautiful!” She starts to shake her head, but I grab her chin. “Yes, you are beautiful.”
Letting go of her chin, I lower my hand to hers, entwining our fingers. I guide her until she is standing next to the bed. After releasing her hand, I slip my hands in the band of her jeans, unfasten the button, and pull down the zipper. Esmeralda stands before me, unmoving, letting me worship her body. I can tell that she feels uncomfortable and is self-conscious, which attests to her courage for taking a chance on us.
Pulling down her jeans, I realize that she’s not wearing any panties, which pleases me as it’s one less layer to divest of. On her upper thigh, I notice cigarette burn marks, which has my heart tightening in pain for her. As I lean forward to kiss the marks, I feel her stiffen, but as I continue to kiss every single scar on her body, she starts to relax. I don’t know how long we stand there with me worshiping her body while she lets me caress, kiss, lick, and stroke her as she trembles in pleasure.
“Lie down for me, baby.” My voice is hoarse. My towel fell to the ground long ago, but I paid it no heed. Esmeralda’s eyes are closed, her head thrown back as she enjoys my ministrations. Her nipples erect like two juicy cherries.
Her eyes open, passion evident in their depths as she looks at me before glancing at the bed, then nodding.
I stand as she takes a step back, sits on the edge of the bed, then lies back against the pillows, her toned legs lifting to lie straight on the bed. Her eyes moving over my body, admiring as she bites her bottom lip. Placing my knee on the edge of the bed, I place my hand on her calf, sliding it up her leg as I watch her face as she closes her eyes murmuring in pleasure.
Bending forward, I kiss her inner thigh, smiling when she raises her torso. Slipping myself between her legs, I slide my hands under her perfectly rounded ass, lift her glistening folds to meet my kisses. Her gasp is loud in the silence of the room. When my tongue flickers out to taste her sweetness, she nearly snaps upright then gasps in pain as she jolts her wrist.
“Careful,” I grunt, as I sit up to hold her wrist gently in my hands. Lifting it to my lips, I kiss her exposed fingers “Do you want painkillers?” She shakes her head in reply, then points with her good hand to where the pills are lying on the side table.
“Freya gave me one earlier, I’m fine now.”
Her reply has me smiling. Looks like my woman was enjoying our love making. Slipping my hand into her hair, I pull her head back so that I have easy access to her lips. The kiss deepens, leaving Esmeralda breathing heavily.
I’m going to make her mine, now and forever. No one will ever be able to come between us, and if they do, they will know what hell is before they die.